Storeowner Maury Carroll looks forward to getting more business with some of the construction near his store completed, while continuing his restaurant's new comedy nights.

Carroll’s Restaurant in Medford Square is finally getting back its old storefront.

Part of the construction associated with the ongoing Craddock Bridge renovation in front of the restaurant was completed on Sept. 22, opening up the street and sidewalk areas in front of the restaurant to pedestrians.

Business at Carroll's has suffered since July 2015, when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) began the bridge renovation project. From then until last Friday, construction equipment and concrete barriers blocked the restaurant’s entrance and most of its windows, and the damaged roads and sidewalks surrounding the restaurant also created an unsafe walking environment, according to restaurant owner Maury Carroll.

“[MassDOT] just moved across the street, so we’re open in front for the first time in two plus years,” Carroll said. “That’ll give us better visibility assets.”

To make up for the loss in revenue, Carroll was forced to lay off multiple employees in 2016. But something positive also came from the construction – the restaurant started hosting live comedy shows, the first one taking place on Saint Patrick’s Day in 2016.

Now, even with improvements in visibility and a new sidewalk, Carroll said the shows have been so successful that the restaurant will continue to organize them.

“We’ve got strong Medford support,” he said. “[People] come out, they enjoy it and nobody does it around this area, which is kind of surprising, especially with the success we’ve had since we started doing a few of them.”

Medford resident Lou Intoppa came up with the idea to host comedy shows to generate more revenue for the restaurant, and he connects Carroll with the comedians. Hank Morse of 105.7 WROR, also from Medford, serves as the MC for all the shows.

The restaurant also recently started a discount program for members of the Tufts University community, offering 20 percent off to students, faculty and employees.

“It’s to try to get them to recognize that Medford Square exists,” Carroll said.

Now that the restaurant has a newly-paved, open sidewalk, Carroll hopes that sales will increase, and that his restaurant will continue to serve as a major food – and entertainment – destination in the square.

“We used to get a lot of walk-ins from the neighboring streets,” he said. “We lost that, so hopefully people will start to venture back.”